Lovers and Other Strangers
by MaryFan1
Summary: I was inspired to write this by the MTM Stories Fate and Murray's Interview.  Mary and Lou have a secret but an unexpected turn of events may force them to reveal it.
1. Chapter 1

Mary Richards wasn't exactly sure what was wrong with her. She had been feeling nauseous and fatigued for over a week. She tried to maintain concentration on the budget figures which she had to present to the News Director that afternoon but she just couldn't focus. She walked out of her office to get a cup of coffee.

Things were certainly different since she returned to WJM a year earlier after being gone three years. She had just hired Murray Slaughter back as a news writer when he and his wife moved back from Boston. She was now the Executive Producer and Ted Baxter had finally given up the ghost and became a field correspondent, allowing her to hire an excellent anchor, Rod Davis. Her old boss Lou Grant had gone back to his first love, print journalism and was the senior editor at the Minneapolis Star Tribune. What Ted, Murray and some of the others didn't know was that for the past six months she and Lou had been dating and becoming very serious. She knew it didn't matter now that they didn't work together but she knew it would be hard for the others to see them that way. She was careful not to give up too much about her personal life. Murray and Ted were her dear friends but never asked. Ted and Georgette were busy with their children and Murray and Marie had their hands full with four daughters, two of whom were reaching college age. She stood pouring herself a cup of coffee but felt so lightheaded she had to steady herself by leaning against the table. Murray looked over and could tell something was wrong.

"Mary, are you okay?" He got up and walked over to her.

"Uh, no, I'm not." She replied

He put his arm around and guided her to his chair, "Just sit here for a minute. Do you want some water instead of coffee?"

"That would be great." She managed.

He poured some water and handed her the glass, "Mary, you haven't been feeling well for a few days, why don't you go to the doctor?"

"Oh, Murray, I've got a lot of work to do and a meeting with Martin this afternoon. I still haven't finished the budget." She took a big drink of water and looked at her watch.

"Can't you reschedule it? You won't be any good for a meeting feeling this way." Murray suggested. He cared deeply for Mary and felt very protective.

"Maybe you're right. I'll see if I can change it for tomorrow. Then I'll call my doctor." She managed to get up and walk back to her office.

Murray watched as she closed the door, very worried for his friend.

Mary sat down and picked up the phone. She didn't call the news director or her doctor.

After a few seconds someone answered, "Lou Grant, please," she waited for him to pick up, "Hi sweetheart, listen, can we cancel lunch? I'm still not feeling well and I'm going to see the doctor….no you don't have to go with me. I'll see you tonight though; right…okay about 8…I love you too."

She hung up then dialed the Martin Harris, the News Director, "Hi Martin, its Mary, listen can we reschedule our meeting for tomorrow. I hate this but I'm not feeling well at all…oh that's great. I really appreciate it…yes tomorrow at 3 should be fine…well thank you, so do I."

A couple of hours later Mary sat in her doctor office waiting for the blood test results. She was sure it was the flu or something like that but the doctor wanted to run more tests.

She flipped through a magazine and thought about all the work that waited for her back at the office. She loved her job but felt quite overwhelmed at the moment. She figured it was just because she wasn't feeling well. She was normally energetic and focused and didn't miss a beat. She thought about Lou. She never in a million years had thought they would be where they are now. After they stopped working together they would run into each other at social events. They found they could be friends without the pressure of work. It started out with lunch, then dinner and soon evolved into a full fledged romance. Two months ago they had gone on their first weekend getaway. It didn't start out as much of a trip and they had stopped speaking for a while but eventually made up and had a wonderful time. So wonderful neither of them had wanted to come back. She was so lost in thought she didn't even hear the doctor come in.

"Mary, are you alright?" She asked.

"Oh, yes. I'm sorry, just daydreaming I guess." She admitted.

Dr. Albright smiled, "Well, I have your test results and it's no surprise why you're feeling so out of sorts."

"The flu, right?" Mary assumed.

"Oh no, this is no flu." The doctor informed her.

Mary was growing concerned, "Then what is it?"

Doctor Albright smiled again, "Mary, you're pregnant."


	2. Chapter 2

Pregnant….the word echoed in her ears as she drove back to the newsroom. _How could this have happened? _She thought, _I had been so careful, so sure it wouldn't happen if I took the pill. _ _How am I going to tell Lou? How can I expect him to commit to me and our child at this point in our relationship? Wait a minute, _she thought again, _we both did this and why should be any less responsible?_ But the sad reality was, she was unmarried and pregnant and men do walk away sometimes. He was 11 years her senior and had three daughters who were grown. Would he really want to deal with a baby? The bigger question was, did she? _Of course I do, she _answered her own question, _not having it is not an option, I'll do it, even if it is by myself. _But she would have to tell him tonight. She couldn't put it off.

The rest of the afternoon seemed to move in slow motion and she felt like she was just sitting watching everything go on around her. Murray had asked her what the doctor said and she lied and said it was just a flu bug. Even Ted showed uncharacteristic concern. She stopped by the grocery and picked up dinner for her and Lou. She wasn't feeling as nauseous but was still very fatigued. The casserole was baking when Lou walked in. She was standing at the stove with her back to him.

He hung up his coat and walked into the kitchen to properly greet her, "Hello there," he said coming up behind her and wrapping his arms around waist, he kissed the back of her neck.

She tried to appear relaxed when she turned around, "Hello yourself, dinner will be ready soon." She forced a smile and he kissed her.

"Mmm, smells good, so are you feeling any better?" he asked moving out of her way as she checked the oven.

She took out the casserole and sat it on the counter, "Oh uh, a little. Would you get the glasses, darling?" 

He walked over to the cabinet and retrieved two wine glasses and sat them on the table, "So what does the doctor think it is? You're not contagious are you?"

Mary smiled, "Well, no, not exactly. Don't worry." She put a serving of the casserole on each plate along with a salad and put them on the table.

"Good, I hate it when you feel bad. I'll get the wine." He walked over to her refrigerator and got out a bottle of white wine.

Mary sat down at the table as he poured the wine in the glasses, "So how was your day?"

Lou took his seat and put his napkin in his lap, "The usual. I had to put the kibosh on a story one of my reporters wanted to do. It's kind of unfortunate because the guy has a lot of talent but the story was just too controversial. It wouldn't have been worth the heat we would have taken."

"Well I supposed times have changed but not that much." She said taking a bite and forcing it down.

"Mmm, that's true." He took a drink of wine to wash down his food.

Mary was silent for a moment, "How is the casserole?"

"It's delicious as always. Why don't you let me clean up so you can rest?"

Mary put her hand on his, "Thank you. That would be great."

After dinner Mary went to lie down in her room while Lou cleared the table and washed the dishes. She couldn't sleep; all she could do was think about how to tell Lou that she was pregnant. Even though she had known him for over ten years she felt like she had no idea how he would feel about this. She put her hands on her stomach wondering about the life that was growing inside her. It did make her smile to think about being a mother. She thought she would be a good one and if Lou wanted this baby she knew he would be a wonderful father. A knock on the door startled her.

Lou poked his head in, "How are you feeling?"

She sat up in bed, "Oh okay. Um, can we talk?"

He walked into the room and sat on the end of the bed, "Sure."

She took a deep breath, "Well I don't know how to say this except to just say it straight out, okay?"

A look of concern came over Lou's face, "Okay."

"I'm pregnant." She managed.

"You're …you mean we." he was unable to find his words.

"Yes, the doctor said about eight weeks. So it appears it happened when we went away for the weekend." She couldn't read him, "Are you okay?"

He stood up and walked over to the window and looked out, "I…I don't know. I think I need to take a walk or something I'm not sure how I'm feeling."

Mary held back her tears, "Alright, if you think you need to do that. Are you coming back tonight?"

He turned to face her, "I don't know…I just don't know." He walked out of the room and as he reached her front door he could her crying.


	3. Chapter 3

Lou walked around the city for hours. He visited some of his old haunts and had a few drinks, which he had almost completely quit doing since he and Mary had started seeing each other. No amount of fresh air or scotch could help clear his head. _A baby, _he thought, _what business do I have being a father again? _He knew he had to take responsibility, he wasn't about to abandon Mary, but they couldn't even tell their friends they were dating, how could they possibly be ready to have a child together, and yet they were. They had wanted to keep their relationship quiet for a while simple because it would be awkward if it didn't work out. They wanted to find out who they were together without the prying eyes of even close friends. They showed up at functions separately to avoid suspicion and mostly spent evenings at home. But now they might be forced to reveal their secret. He knew Mary was incredibly hurt by his leaving. He knew she expected him to stay and talk about it. He just didn't want to say anything quite yet. Should he marry her? Should he just take responsibility for the baby? Should they be one of those couples who live together? They hadn't even begun to discuss forever with each other. They loved being together and he had never felt like this about anyone, not even his ex-wife. He had to go back and talk to her.

When he returned to Mary's she was asleep. She had been up most of the night and had finally drifted off about 4 am. He sat in a chair in her bedroom watching her. She was so beautiful, almost angelic. He wanted to wake her up but he knew she must be exhausted. He faintly remembered how tired his ex-wife was in the early stages of her pregnancies so he let her sleep wondering how they ended up here. He would make it right, somehow.

Mary began to stir and when she opened her eyes and saw him she felt a mixture of relief and apprehension at the same time, "Hi," was all she managed as she sat up in bed.

"Hi," he responded, "Are you okay?"

"No, not really. Where did you go?" She asked.

"I just walked around for a while, and then sat in the park most of the night. I did have a few drinks. I needed to clear my head." He explained.

"I was worried about you. We can't avoid talking about this." She said.

Lou nodded in agreement, he saw the pain in her brown eyes, "I know and I'm sorry but you certainly threw me for a loop."

Mary looked down at her hands, "I know I did. It threw me for one too. I certainly never thought this would happen. I thought I was so careful."

Lou finally got up and came and sat by her on the bed, "You didn't do this by yourself. I think I had something to do with it."

Mary smiled slightly, "Yes, I guess you did. So what do we do? I don't want to do this alone but if you don't think…"

He cut her off, "Mary, I'm not going anywhere. We are in this together. I love you and you will not be alone. But I have to be honest, I cannot promise marriage but I can promise you that I will take care of you and our child."

"I understand. So how do we tell everyone? We can't hide our relationship anymore. Before long it will be impossible." She patted her stomach.

"We'll just have to be honest with them. If we do love each other then we have no reason to hide it anymore." He said, taking her hands in his.

Mary met his eyes, "You're right and I do love you, Lou Grant."

**THE FOLLOWING MONDAY**

Lou and Mary decided to tell everyone right away about their relationship and the baby. They figured the best way was to just show up together first thing and get it over with. They walked into the newsroom and saw Murray first.

"Hey Lou, what are you doing here?" He looked at him and Mary.

"Well, uh, Murray, Mary and I need to tell you all something." He stammered.

"Oh, well, what is it?" he looked at Mary, "Mary are you alright?"

"Yes, I'm fine. Where is Ted? Is he here yet?" She asked.

"He's in his dressing room admiring himself now that he got his teeth whitened." Murray explained.

"Could you call him and have him come down here?" Lou asked 

"Well sure Lou but what's going on?" Murray asked again.

"We'll tell you when Ted gets here." Lou said.

"Alright, alright, I'll call him." Murray picked up the phone and dialed Ted's dressing room.

"Thanks," Lou said then turned to Mary, "You sure you're alright?"

Mary smiled, "Yes, I'm fine. I just want to get this over with."

"Ted's on his way." Murray said, "So how are things Lou? It's been a while since we've talked."

"Oh, you know, things are okay. How are Marie and the kids?" Lou was never good at small talk and this was especially difficult.

"Hi guys," Ted said as he walked into the room, "Lou, hey how are you?

"Uh, I'm good Ted. Listen, Mary and I have something we need to say to you both. You are two of our closest friends and we think you should know." He couldn't get it all the way out.

"Know what Lou?" Murray asked. He had never seen Lou so uncomfortable.

"We think you should know that Mary and I have … have been …seeing each other." He stammered

"You mean as in dating?" Murray asked puzzled.

Mary finally spoke, "Yes, Murray, we have been dating for several months but there's something else," she paused, "I'm… I'm…pregnant."

Ted and Murray looked at each other in utter disbelief, "Pregnant?" Murray repeated then gathered himself, "Hey, Mary, Lou, that's great, just great." He gave them both a big hug.

"Lou, old buddy, you still got it." Ted punched him playfully.

Lou glared at him, "Ted, don't do that."

"Oh, uh, I'm sorry, well, I'll just say congratulations. So when's the big day?" Ted asked

"Well, not for about 7 months." Mary answered assuming Ted was asking about her due date.

"You're gonna wait that long to get married?" Ted asked.

"Ted, Mary and I haven't decided on that yet. We're still talking about it." Lou explained.

"You mean, you're not getting married? Well won't that make the baby a …" Ted started?

"A what, Ted?" Lou glared at him again.

Ted backed away, "A…a boy or a girl." He said running out of the room.

**FOUR MONTHS LATER**

The newsroom was buzzing with activity when Lou stopped by to take Mary to her doctor's appointment and get a bite of lunch. After some long talks they finally decided to get married in a quiet ceremony at Mary's apartment. They found a house in a nice neighborhood and moved in the previous month.

"Hey Lou, how's it going?" Murray greeted him.

"Good Murray, how about you? I hope that boss of yours isn't being too hard on you." He joked.

"You know what a slave driver she is." Murray retorted, "She's in editing but should be back in just a minute. You guys getting some lunch?" 

"Yeah, and she's got a doctor's appointment." Lou said with a smile.

"Hey, Lou, I'm glad you're here. I have a great suggestion for a name for the baby." Ted said as he walked into the studio.

"Yeah, well that's great Ted." Lou said hoping Ted wouldn't tell him.

"What do you think of Theodore Baxter Grant?" Ted said in his newscaster voice.

Lou smiled, "Well, that's nice Ted. I'll run it by Mary."

"Run what by Mary?" She asked walking in the room.

"Ted was just giving Lou suggestions for baby names." Murray informed her.

"Well, that's awfully nice of you Ted but we have some ideas of our own," Mary said then turned to Lou, "Are you ready, sweetheart? 

"Sure am, can't wait to have lunch with my two favorite people." He said patting Mary's growing belly.

Mary laughed "Great, because you're two favorite people are starved." She said grabbing her coat.

"Oh, sorry Lou, I can't join you for lunch" Ted said.

"We didn't ask you Ted." Lou said

"Oh well, you said you're two favorite people." Ted mumbled

"Ted, he was referring to Mary and the baby." Murray informed him

"We'll that's dumb, it can't even talk yet." Ted said walking out of the room.

Mary, Lou and Murray just laughed as Lou opened to door to leave.


End file.
